What Happened
The Professional Hockey Writers' Association has released its finalists for the upcoming NHL Awards, per ESPN. The ballot picture shows competitive races in several of the major categories. In the MVP race, Connor McDavid is not the unanimous pick at this point, which ESPN frames as a sign of how tight the competition for the league's top individual honor has become.
Key Details
- Finalists for the upcoming NHL Awards were revealed by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.
- ESPN reported the field on Nov. 10, 2026.
- Multiple major award categories are shaping up as close races.
- McDavid is not the unanimous MVP selection in the current balloting.
What It Means
A unanimous MVP ballot is rare, so McDavid's lack of unanimous support means at least one voter currently prefers a different candidate for the league's top individual prize. The revealed finalists also indicate that voters see real competition in several of the other major categories rather than a single dominant front-runner in each race.